It looked like Morgan Gibbs-White would swiftly follow Mohammed Kudus through the door at Tottenham, but Nottingham Forest's accusation of an "illegal approach" means the deal remains in doubt.
Spurs and Forest are at a stalemate over Gibbs-White, and no solution appears to be on the horizon.
While Spurs believe they've done no wrong and the England international would be an excellent addition to Thomas Frank's playmaking department, there will soon come a time when the need to move on becomes evident. The club can ill-afford to stall their summer over Evanglos Marinakis throwing his toys out of the pram.
Gibbs-White could yet become a Tottenham player, but here are four alternatives the club could pivot to.
1. Xavi Simons
The Dutch international is the exotic name many supporters craved entering the summer, and Simons is believed to be available for a similar fee Spurs are willing to pay for Gibbs White (well, his not-so-secret £60m release clause).
While Leipzig are demanding a pretty big fee, there's an expectation that the slight attacking midfielder will depart Saxony this summer. Bayern Munich are well in the mix, and Spurs have been tenuously linked.
Some have called Simons' attitude into question during his time in the Bundesliga, and there's no doubt that he carries a swagger. He recorded 16 Bundesliga goal contributions last season, scoring ten times.
The 22-year-old is a Duracell Bunny-like figure from a creative function, and he appears an excellent fit for the No. 10 role in Frank's system due to his capacity to carry the ball over large spaces in transition. He's not merely a big-space playmaker, but a small-space maestro, too. Simons is excellent on the half turn, and is capable of producing magic from between the lines. He supplies solutions on the counter-attack and when faced up against deep-lying defences.
Simons is simply a joy to watch, a superstar in the making if he isn't one yet. He has to be the priority alternative.
2. Enzo Millot
Millot is somewhat of a left-field option, and would likely be available on the cheap this summer.
He's similar to Simons in that he can perform as a No. 10 and more of a box-to-box operator. However, the Frenchman is also quite different to the Dutchman. The left-footed Millot is more languid in style and more of a passer than he is a carrier. The 22-year-old can also offer cover down the right flank.
He performs with impressive grace and poise, and I was impressed whenever I tuned into a very watchable Stuttgart team led by Sebastian Hoeness. The lights never appeared too bright for Millot on Champions League nights last season.
3. Bilal El Khannouss
Leicester were nothing short of woeful last season, yet they still took five points off of us. The scorer of their winning goal on a bleak winter afternoon in N17 earlier this year, El Khannouss was one of the very few shining lights.
El Khannouss should be playing in the Premier League next season. Sunderland and, interestingly, Nottingham Forest are among the interested clubs, and perhaps Spurs could throw themselves into the mix if they fancy acquiring a cheaper Gibbs-White alternative to delegate more funds to other positions of need (*cough* Adam Wharton cough*).
Leicester were so bad last season that we have little to go off statistically, but the eye test suggested there would be plenty of talent for Frank to harness if the 21-year-old were to sign for the club. El Khannouss is a natural dribbler who can drop in to aid the build-up phase. He's a canny operator, but far from the finished product.
This is the player you sign if you trust James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to share the load across all competitions next season. El Khannouss would be a useful rotational piece with room to grow.
4. Fermin Lopez
Barcelona's financial mess has been well-documented over the past decade, and they're certainly not out of the mire yet.
Hansi Flick wants to build on the club's success of 2024/25, but signings are unlikely to arrive until Barca get a few of their own off their books. Marc Casado, who enjoyed a breakout season under Flick before suffering a long-term knee injury, is among those deemed disposable, and the club have reportedly also flirted with the idea of parting ways with Fermin.
La Masia graduate Fermin played second fiddle to Dani Olmo last season, but rarely did he let Flick's side down when called upon. The Spaniard recorded 11 La Liga goal contributions in 1,252 minutes of action.
He's a little bit different to those we've mentioned. Fermin is an incredibly instinctive footballer who has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He's a box-crashing attacking midfielder, as opposed to an elite playmaker. The Spaniard is ice-cold in front of goal.
The 22-year-old doesn't exactly stand out as a passer, dribbler or carrier, but he knows where the back of the net is. Without the ball, he's an absolute nightmare for the opposition. He'll run all day, and I think he's a pretty good fit for Frank.